Adapter



April 17, 1934. E. A. sTRoMBERG ADAPTER Filed Dec. 19, 1932 PatentedApr. 17, 1934.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Stromberg Motoscope Corporation,

Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 19, 1932, SerialNo. 647,919

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ignition testing devices forinternal combustion engines, and refers specically to the provision ofmeans for testing portions of the ignition system,

5 of a well known type of distributor, while the engine is in operation.

The utility, objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying drawing and following detail description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, parts being brokenaway, of a type of distributor and spark coil utilized with the internalcombustion engine of a well known automobile, in conjunction with whichan embodiment of my invention is used.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the distributor, showing the adapter,comprising my invention, mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adapter.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates a spark coil housingcontained within which is the usual spark or ignition coil utilized inconjunction with internal combustion engines. A coil spring terminal 2positioned at the lower portion of the housing 1 is connected to oneside of the primary coil of the spark coil, the other side of said coil,of course, being grounded in the conventional manner, as showndiagrammatically at 2. A frustro conical projection 3 may extenddownwardly from the bottom of the housing 1 and may carry springimpelled carbon brush 4 which is connected to one side of the secondaryor high tension coil.

The ignition coil shown and described is utilize with the internalcombustion engine of a well known make of automobile, the ignition unitbeing so constructed that housing 1 is adapted to be mounted upon flange5 of the distributor housing 6, screws not shown being adapted toconnect ange '7 of the spark coil housing l and 45 flange 5 of thedistributor housing 6.

The distributor unit utilized in conjunction with the automobile abovementioned carries a rotor 7 which may be mounted upon shaft 8 which, inturn, is the cam shaft which carries 50 the timing gears, not shown. Itcan readily be seen that when the internal combustion engine is inoperation, shaft 8 will be rotated thereby rotating rotor '7. Openings 8may be provided in each side of the housing 6 and conventional 55distributor caps, not shown, are adapted to be mounted over saidopenings. The rotor 7 is provided with two spaced annular iianges 9 and9', the body of the rotor and the flanges beingconstructed of a materialsuch as bakelite fibre or other material having a relatively highdielectric strength. A metal ring 10 may be positioned between flanges 9and 9 and makes electrical-connection with contacts 11 positioned at theperipheral surfaces of each of the llanges 9 and 9. Contacts 11, whenthe rotor is rotated, makes periodic electrical connection with thecooperating contacts mounted upon the distributor caps, said contacts inturn being connected to the spark plug conductors.

A cam 12 may be mounted upon shaft 8 and is adapted to actuate followers13 and 14, to open or close contacts l5 or 16 respectively, to open orclose the primary circuit. This construction is conventional and isbelieved to necessitate no further detailed description. l

A contact member 1'7 may be positioned within the housing 6 and maycarry spring members 18 and 19 which serve the dual purpose of springsto maintain followers 13 and 14 respectively in contact with theperiphery of cam 12 constructed of insulating material and also ofconductors which forms a portion of the primary coil circuit. The entiremake and break mechanism, of course is insulated from the ground. y

Normally when coil casing l is mounted upon the distributor housing 6,the end of coil spring 2 contacts member 17 thereby placing the circuitbreakers 15 and 16 in series with the primary coil. When the coil is somounted, the downwardly extending member 3 projects between flanges 9and 9', and brush 4 rides upon ringV 10 thereby completing the secondaryor high tension circuit from the secondary of the spark plug to contact11 which, as has been hereinbefore described, makes Contact with theterminals of the spark plug conductors.

Heretofore, if the spark coil was to be tested or if it was desired todetermine whether or not leakage of current was taking place from rotor7, it was necessary to remove said spark coil and test the sameseparately or to remove rotor 7 which involves dismantling the entiredistributor unit. By utilizing my invention, the necessity for theremoval of the rotor 7 is obviated and the spark coil may be testedunder operating conditions.

To accomplish this object I may provide a bifurcated member 20 which maybe constructed of fibre, hard rubber, bakelite or other similar materialhaving a dielectric strength. The member 20 may comprise an arm 21carried upon which may be coil spring contacting member 22 similar tothe coil spring contacting member 2, mounted upon the spark coilcasing 1. The opposite arm 23 of the member 20 may carry tubular member24 extending through which is a pin 25. A brush 26 may be carried at thelower end of pin 25 and may protrude from the en d of the tubular member24 and a coil spring 27 may encircle pin 25 and be positioned abovebrush 26 thereby resiliently impelling said brush outwardly. A cap 27may be mounted upon the upper end of pin 25 and may encompass the upperportion of tubular member 24.

In utilizing my invention in conjunction with the coil and distributorshown in Fig. 1, the coil housing 1 may be removed from its positionupon the distributor housing 6 and the member 20 may be mounted upon aportion of ange 5, said member being provided with aperture 28 throughwhich screw 29 may extend which, in turn, may serve to fasten member 20upon flange 5,. The member 20 may be so positioned with respect to theelements Within distributor housing 6, that brush 26 may ride upon ring10 and that the end of coil spring 22 may contact member 1'7. A bindingpost 30 may comprise an electrical continuation of coil spring 22 andspring 2 positioned upon housing 1 may be connected to binding post 30by means of conductor 3l. In this manner, although coil housing 1 may beremoved from its normal seat upon housing 6, circuit breaker gaps 15 and16 will still be connected in series with the primary coil. A conductor32 may connect the cap 27 to movable electrode 33, shown diagrammatioalyin Fig. 1. A conductor 34 may connect brush 4 to stationary electrode`35. It is to be understood, of course, that movable electrode 33 andstationary electrode 35 are intended to diagrammatically illustrate anytype of ignition testing instrument, and, for the sake of simplicity, asimple adjustable spark gap is shown, the length of the gap beingascertainable by suitable calibrated indicia 36.

It can readily be seen that by provision of the member 20 in conjunctionwith the appropriately disposed contacts 22 and 26, the coil containedWithin housing 1 may be tested while the internal combustion engine upon which the housing 6 and coil housing 1 may be mounted may be inoperation, in other words, by the provision of my invention informationmay be ascertained which would not possibly be available in testing thespark coil independently of Ythe remaining instrumentalities comprisingthe ignition distributing system.

In addition, by constructing the member 2O in the form shown la maximumarea of visibility may be obtained of `the interior of vhousing 6. Itfrequently happens, when ,utilizing the type of distributor shown, thatthe peripheral surfaces of the flanges 9 and 9 become coated withcarbon. When this occurs, of course, leakage currents exist which canreadily be seen. Heretofore, in order to ascertain whether such leal;-age currents existed, in other words, to ascertain whether theperipheral surfaces of flanges 9 and 9 carried sufcient carbon toprovide a leakage path for the high tension current, the entire rotor 7had to be removed from the distributor housing 6, said rotor beingsubsequently subjected to the usual high tension current test. However,by the provision of my invention, the spark coil housing 1 may beremoved from the distributor housing 6, and the member 20 may bepositioned as shown permitting the spark coil to be utilized with thedistributor and rotor 'I may be examined for the presence of leakagecurrents which can readily be observed or detected while the rotor is inactual operation.

I claim as my invention:

l. lAn nadapter for connecting an ignition testing device to theignition system or" an internal combustion engine which comprises, arelatively iiat body member constructed of non-conducting material, saidbody being provided with a recess, juxtaposed arms dening opposite sidesof said recess, a coil spring contact carried by one arm, and aresiliently impelled brush contact carried by the opposite arm.

2. An adapter for connecting an ignition testing device to the ignitionsystem of an internal combustion engine which comprises, a relativelyHat body member constructed of nonconducting material, electricterminals mounted upon said body in spaced relationship, a coil springcontact carried by one o'f said terminals, and a resiliently impelledbrush contact carried by the other kof said terminals.

3. An adapter for connecting an ignition testing device to the ignitionsystem of an internal combustion engine which comprises, a body memberconstructed of non-conducting material, said body being provided with arecess, juxtaposed arms defining opposite sides of said recess, a coilspring contact carried by one arm, and a resiliently impelled brushcontact' carried by the opposite arm.

4. An adapter for connecting an ignition testing device to the ignitionsystem of an internal combustion engine which comprises, a relativelyflat body member constructed of non-conducting material, electricalterminals mounted upon said body member and extending upwardly from oneface thereof, a resilient contact carried by one of said terminals andextending from the opposite face of said body member, and a resilientlyimpelled brush contact carried by the other terminal and extending fromthe face of the body member.

5. An adapter for connecting an ignition testing device to the ignitionsystem of an internal combustion engine which comprises, a relatively atbody member constructed of non-conducting material, said body beingprovided with a recess, juxtaposed arms defining opposite sides of saidrecess, a coil spring contact carried by one arm, a resiliently impelledbrush contact carried by the opposite arm, and means for mounting saidbody member upon an automobile ignition distributor.

' EMIL A. STROMBERG.

